“Traitors.” That’s a strong term, obviously. It should never be used lightly. Yet there it was, flying around like confetti in Times Square on New Year’s Eve. Why? Because 47 Republican senators who are understandably concerned about the prospects of a nuclear-armed Iran sent a letter to that country’s leaders about the deal now being struck with the United States and…
Two weeks ago, if you’d asked what American institution was most intolerant of dissenting opinion, preoccupied with promoting radical ideology, and prone to erupting into disruptive temper tantrums, the answer would have been easy. Now it’s not so clear—the hysteria on college campuses has spread to America’s newsrooms. Over the weekend, the opinion page editor…
In the first debate of their heated U.S. Senate race, the incumbent Democrat’s attacks last night on the policy positions of his Republican challenger took on a personal tone. Rep. Tom Cotton, the challenger, and Sen. Mark Pryor, the incumbent, squared off at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway. Joining them to debate who would serve…
Sen. Tom Cotton suggested he would ask tougher questions of nominees of top military command positions about their views on critical race theory before they are given promotions. Cotton, R-Ark., an Army veteran who fought in Afghanistan, said the doctrine gaining a foothold in a number of institutions, including the military, is contrary to the…
Republican Sens. Lindsey Graham and Tom Cotton—among Congress’ most adamant defense hawks—made clear Thursday that they will only support a deal with Iran that completely eliminates Tehran's ability to make nuclear weapons. The lawmakers joined forces to promote their Senate resolution on preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, a resolution they say is modeled…
Taxpayers are being forced to pay $300 million to help the cotton industry–the Brazilian cotton industry–in order to resolve a long-standing dispute between the U.S. and Brazil over cotton subsidies. In 2002, Brazil brought an action against the United States arguing that American cotton subsidies violated World Trade Organization rules. The Congressional Research Service explains:…
In a Wall Street Journal editorial last week, Sen. Tom Cotton offered tepid support for prison reform measures in the FIRST STEP Act, which the House passed in late May with overwhelming bipartisan support. The Arkansas Republican said the bill contains “some flaws,” but has “worthy goals.” The FIRST STEP Act is designed to enhance public safety…
Two Big Tech CEOs apologized to grieving parents Wednesday while others insisted to senators that they are working to prevent exploitation of teens and children on their social media platforms. The CEOs testifying at the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, titled “Big Tech and the Online Child Sexual Exploitation Crisis,” included Jason Citron of Discord Inc.;…
The House’s disaster aid bill, at $81 billion, is nearly double the Trump administration’s request of $44 billion. These costs are not offset by spending cuts elsewhere. So much for fiscal responsibility. Contained within this bill is an expansion of already excessive handouts to the cotton industry. Using the cover of a disaster bill to…
This week, Congress returns to Washington to address government funding. Unfortunately, two costly corporate welfare programs could be expanded. In the 2014 farm bill, Congress created two massive programs whose projected costs to taxpayers have nearly doubled. Originally projected to cost $18 billion over five years, the programs are now projected to cost a shocking…
A new congressional report on the U.S. Navy “found that a staggering 94% of sailors interviewed believe that the surface Navy suffers from a crisis of leadership and culture.” Increased administrative burdens (750 annual reports per ship, most of them useless) and training not related to combat have eaten into the time American sailors are able to devote…
Sen. Tom Cotton has asked the Internal Revenue Service to investigate the Southern Poverty Law Center, a liberal activist organization that regularly brands organizations it opposes as “hate groups.” Cotton, R-Ark., said the probe is needed for “protecting taxpayer dollars from a racist and sexist slush fund devoted to defamation.” The Arkansas lawmaker wrote a…
Republican Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton is calling on Attorney General Merrick Garland to fire Kristen Clarke following The Daily Signal’s reporting on her arrest and subsequent expungement. “I write regarding an act of perjury committed by Kristen Clarke, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights,” he wrote in a letter first published by Breitbart News. “I…
Just weeks after attacking his Republican opponent on Ebola, Sen. Mark Pryor, D-Ark., yesterday struggled to answer questions from a reporter about President Obama’s response to the international crisis. Pryor, who is locked in a close race that could determine control of the U.S. Senate, criticized Republican Rep. Tom Cotton on emergency preparedness to a…
What are Senate appropriators doing to address two new farm programs whose costs are spiraling out of control? They are increasing the costs even more. Cotton growers just can’t seem to get enough handouts, and many Senate appropriators are happy to funnel even more money their way at the expense of taxpayers. The Senate agriculture…
In the twilight of his tenure in office, President Joe Biden declared on Friday that he was commuting the sentences of 2,500 inmates incarcerated on drug offenses. This is in addition to the 1,500 commutations he gave out last month. The president noted that his most recent use of the pardon powers given to him by…
President Barack Obama is running out of time to fulfill his campaign promise to close the military prison at Guantanamo Bay and bring some detainees to the United States. As the last months of Obama’s term approach, a new Republican measure could now make that a political impossibility. An amendment to the National Defense Authorization…
The U.S. Senate’s first spending bill of 2016 allocates $261 million more than President Barack Obama requested and lacks significant conservative amendments, but it still sailed to passage Thursday in the Republican-led chamber. An overwhelming number of senators on both sides of the aisle approved the energy and water development appropriations bill, by a vote of…
Sometimes life comes at you fast. Such was the case this week for Glenn Kessler, the so-called fact-checker for Jeff Bezos’ publication, The Washington Post. Kessler himself was inadvertently fact-checked by the U.S. Department of Justice, and yet this reporter who spends his career allegedly seeking the truth and correcting others was unwilling to admit…
Will Americans still be celebrating Thanksgiving 100 years from now? This year marks the 400th anniversary of the Pilgrims’ arrival in America. The moment, which deserved wider recognition, was celebrated in an excellent speech by Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark. “A great American anniversary is upon us,” Cotton said on Nov. 18. “Regrettably, we haven’t heard…